Towards the Twilight
by Triddz
Summary: [Twilight Princess LinkxMidna] 3 months after the events of Twilight Princess, Link and Midna are desperately missing each other. When both begin a search for the other, they set off a devastating chain of events. Suck at summaries. Rating might change
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone. I have never written a fanfiction before, though I have done much creative writing in the past. However, after playing the masterpiece that is Twilight Princess, I was inspired to write one, especially to make up for the ending.

Despite this being my first Fanfiction, do not expect it to be one of those throw-away things you see come and go. It may not be the best written, but I have a clear idea of what I want to do and a semi-detailed plan of every chapter from beginning to almost the end. Finally, my spelling and grammar are not perfect. Not by a long shot. If you see any huge, glaring flaws, please kindly point them out so I can fix them up. Do not bother telling me of errors in the A/Ns. I write them how I talk, not with perfect grammar.

Now, to the story!

**Towards the Twilight**

**Chapter 1**

Link walked through Ordon Village, trying to ignore the stares and mumbles that followed in his wake. The people of Ordon, simple farmers mostly, had not gotten used to having a hero in their midst.

Despite the reaction of the people, Link had not felt anything like a hero as of late. His sword lay forgotten; untouched for months. Even his journey across the land seemed somewhat like a dream.

Except for one short moment. One short moment that had torn his heart and destroyed his dreams; one which he had been replaying in his mind constantly.

His mind could not help but wander back to Midna. In his mind, he replayed many moments from their adventure. Midna freeing him from his cell. Midna being struck down by Zant. Midna's departure to the Twilight Realm.

The destruction of the Twilight Mirror had shaken Link to his core. The thought that he would never again hear her voice was slowly eating away at him.

The people of Ordon had been quick to realize that something was wrong upon his return. Link, the once outgoing and cheerful farmhand, had become moody and reclusive. Almost all of them had approached him about it, yet every time he refused to talk about it.

_How could I? _he thought to himself. _None of them were there. None of them would understand even if I did try and talk about it. They'd tell me to get over it and move on._

Link, completely engrossed in his thoughts, hadn't heard the footsteps that had been following him for quite some time.

"Link," came a quiet voice.

Link turned around to face Ilia. She, above all the others, had taken a special interest in discovering what was bothering Link as of late.

"Link," she repeated. "You know you can talk to me. Why won't you tell us what is bothering you?"

Link turned around and continued walking; Ilia followed behind. At first, it seemed like he was going to ignore her question. At last, he lifted his head and spoke.

"What makes you think there is anything wrong?" he asked.

"Oh please. Link, you never used to be so down all the time. Tell me what's wrong, please?"

"You wouldn't be able to understand," Link said.

"I don't pretend to know what happened during your journey," said Ilia. "And perhaps I'm not able to understand what's bothering you, but surely there are some people who can. I care about you Link, we all do."

Without another word, Link walked off towards his house

"_Link," said Zelda. "You know she was just doing what she felt was right. She never wanted to hurt you, I'm sure of it."_

_Link continued to ride forwards, towards Hyrule Castle. He gave no indication that he had heard what she said._

"_I know how you felt about her," the Princess continued. "and it's not likely to get any easier, but Midna would want you to be happy."_

_At last, Link turned to face the Princess. His eyes shimmered with tears; sadness clear in his voice as he spoke._

"_I just wish she would have told us beforehand," he said._

"_If she had told you, would you have let her do it?"_

_At this, Link put head down once more and continued to ride towards the castle._

---

Several hours later, Link lay awake on his bed recalling Princess Zelda's words. Though meant kindly, they had done little to help him.

Upon returning to Hyrule Castle, Link was heralded as a hero. That was something that he definitely didn't want. As such, on the night before he was to be awarded with the Order of Hyrule, he snuck back to his hometown of Ordon. The Princess had seemingly got the message, as nobody had come to look for him.

Still, something was bothering Link tonight.

"_And perhaps I'm not able to understand what's bothering you, but surely there are some people who can."_

Ilia's words from earlier came drifting back to him. _Surely there are some people who can._ It was something Link had never put much thought into.

Then, it hit him. Zelda. If there was one person who could help him find what he needed, it was her. Link knew that the Princess herself knew next to nothing about the Twilight Realm, but maybe, just maybe, she could show him someone who did.

Still hours before dawn, Link was preparing to leave. He had dug out his old sword and tunic, and was busy saddling Epona.

_In just a few hours time, _he thought, _I might just have a place to start._

The thought that he might be able to see Midna once again seemed to quicken his already fast pace. Before a half hour had passed, Link was ready to depart. He jumped up on Epona's back, and with one last look back, left Ordon Village.

Unbeknownst to Link, someone had been watching Link's departure. From behind the bushes, Ilia had watched him leave. She muttered something that sounded like 'Good Luck' before turning around and heading home.

"_Link…I…"_

_Every bone in her body wanted to tell him; to express her feelings after all their time together. But, alas, she knew it would not be fair to tell him something so heartfelt, only to leave him forever._

"_See you around."_

_Finally, she let her tears flow free. The Twilight Mirror shattered, and she turned to go back home. She couldn't bear to look upon Link's face._

---

"Your Highness," came a voice from behind. "please wake up."

Midna slowly lifted her head from the desk where she had fallen asleep. A quick glance revealed the source of the voice to be Miramas, one of her most trusted advisors.

Miramas had been one of the prominent figures in the rebuilding of the Twilight Realm. It was him who had brought order to the land upon Midna's return. Many of the Twili had wanted him for their leader, though he claimed to have no interest in it.

"Your Highness," Miramas repeated. "I am truly sorry to disturb you. However, the council has requested your presence immediately."

Midna groaned. To her, anything short of Ganon's return would be better than standing before the council.

"I do not feel like going. Tell them I am sick or something to that effect. I trust you to make up an excuse," said Midna.

Miramas had always been skilled at reading Midna's expressions, yet he did not need to do it here. He could already guess at what was bothering her.

"You dreamed of him again, didn't you?" he asked.

Midna straightened her garments, obviously reluctant to answer the question. Catching on, Miramas spoke up once again.

"I am sorry to hear of your illness, your Highness," he said with a smile. "I will tell the council that you must reschedule, and I wish you a speedy recovery."

---

**Ending A/N: **This chapter has seen more rewrites and revisions than most entire stories do. I still don't like it; not at all. I promise you the next one will be a bit better. On the topic of the next one, I don't keep to a strict schedule. I update when I'm done. Still, expect an update every 1 – 3 days.

Reviews and comments welcomed, flames will be ignored.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow. If I was expecting something, it wasn't unanimously glowing reviews. You guys are really awesome. If there is anything you want to say to me, leave it in a review. Rest assured, I read each and every one of them. Anyways, you might be wondering why this somewhat short chapter took so long to get up. Imagine the worst possible 3 days you can think of. That's a rough idea on what they've been like for me. If there is any huge dip in quality, please just chalk it up to that.

I also noticed that 3 asterisks I use to separate sections don't appear on this site, making it quite a confusing read. I've switched to using a centered --- to seperate the sections, but I'd still like to know why asterisks don't appear.

Obviously, Hyrule in this fic is _far_ bigger than it is in the game. It'd be horrible to write something where the main character could walk across the land in 20 minutes or less.

**Towards the Twilight**

**Chapter 2**

The sun was just beginning to appear over the horizon when Link reached the Hyrule Field. The ride through the Faron Woods had been rather uneventful. Without anyone to lead them, most of the monsters had turned on each other, effectively wiping themselves out.

Hyrule Field had gone through much the same thing. With few monsters roaming the land, people had quickly begun to travel more often. Before anyone knew it, several villages had begun to spring up at the crossroads.

Link marveled at how fast Hyrule seemed to recover. Just over three months before, the nation had been all but destroyed. It's king dead, its people scattered. Now, it seemed stronger than it had ever been.

Urging Epona forward, Link continued forward towards Castle Town.

---

Any hopes Link might have had of getting into Castle Town unnoticed were quickly dashed. He was not even halfway to the city when he was spotted by a group of merchants. They quickly ran towards him, hoping to get a glimpse of the famous hero. Link pretended not to notice them and rode on.

Things only became worse as Link got closer to the city. Children from the newly established farms rushed out to see their hero. Not wanting to disappoint the children, Link was forced to put on several impromptu shows.

By the time Link reached the gates of Castle Town, the sun was already high in the sky. He took a deep breath and entered the city, knowing that in just a little while he might be one step closer to finding his lost friend.

Castle town itself was much the same as it had ever been. The streets were still crowded with men and women doing their daily shopping. Thankfully, most people were much to busy to spare Link a second glance.

As Link turned north towards the castle, his mind once again wandered to memories of Midna.

---

"_L-Link… please, hurry."_

_Link could hear Midna's voice getting weaker; her breaths had quickly become slow and labored. As he emerged from the Castle waterways, only one thought filled his head: Find Zelda._

_He bolted across the rooftops, hoping desperately that the Princess could do something to save Midna._

---

The confrontation with Zant that day had been the first time Link had felt anything for Midna. Up until then, she had treated him little better than one would treat a servant. Worse than how one would treat a servant, come to think of it. Yet for some reason which he still couldn't explain, Link had felt the need to protect her.

"Welcome, Hero. It is an honor to have you back at the castle."

The voice of a guard jolted Link back to attention. He had somehow reached the castle gates without realizing it.

"May I ask what brings you to the castle on this fine day?" the guard continued.

"I need to see Zelda," Link answered.

If the guard was upset at the lack of Zelda's title, as many of the castle guards would be, he did not show it.

"The Princess will be alerted to your presence immediately. In the meantime, I suggest you wait inside."

Link followed the guard through the gate towards the castle. Aside from the newly-erected statue of Link (which he pretended not to be aware of), the castle looked much the same as it had before Ganon's attack. The damage had been quickly repaired; work had begun before Link had returned to Ordon.

The two stopped as they came to the Entrance Hall. As with the rest of Hyrule, there was very little sign that this very room had been under attack just over three months previous.

"Now, if you would be so kind as to wait here, I will go fetch the Princess," he said.

"That won't be necessary."

Princess Zelda stepped out from the far side of the room, where she had been partially hidden behind a staircase.

"I will take Link from here," she said to the guard. "Return at once to the gates."

The guard managed a weak 'Yes, Your Highness' before scurrying out the door. Without a word, Zelda turned around and started walking towards the towers. Link quickly followed behind her.

---

"I know why it is that you are here," said Zelda.

They were in Zelda's private quarters, a place that Link was not at all comfortable with. The room brought back too many painful memories. She motioned for him to sit down and went to stand by the window.

"Little has changed from the last time you asked me," she continued. "I do not know of any way into her world."

"In all honesty Princess, I didn't expect that you would," Link answered.

"Then why is it you have come here?"

"While you may not know the way, perhaps you know of others who do. Do you?"

At this, Zelda turned around to face Link, a faint smile on her face.

"I just might," she answered.

Link's excitement managed to get the best of him. He jumped up from Zelda's bed where he had been sitting, almost knocking the Princess over in the process.

"Who are they? Tell me where I can find them!" Link was almost shouting.

"You should already know, Link."

Link was thoroughly confused at this. Certainly the Princess knew better than to assume such things. If he knew of a person more knowledgeable about the Twilight Realm than Zelda, he would surely have gone to them first.

"Tell me, Link, who have spent more time near the Twilight than any other in this world?" Zelda asked.

"You don't mean…?"

Zelda nodded and turned back towards the window.

"The Sages."

---

**Ending A/N:** An odd chapter to write. No matter what I did, I couldn't break 500 words. When I finally did break it, I hit word count to realize I had more than doubled that. Hopefully, I'll have another chapter up soon. School is starting on Monday though, so I might not have too much time to write.

This story is also un-beta'd. If you have above average skills with the English Language and would like to beta this story, give me a message. I am unable to pay or anything like that, but you'd at least get to read the story a bit early.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **If I told you how many times I had to re-think Link's conversation with the Sages, you probably wouldn't believe me. I grabbed a crumpled copy of the first draft from under my bed, and it's, for lack of a better word, complete garbage.

For some strange, unexplainable reason, I have the nagging feeling there is some giant error in this chapter that I'm missing. I've read it over and over without finding anything more than a spelling error here and there, yet the feeling won't go away. So, if there is something, bear with me, I'll fix it later on.

**Towards the Twilight**

**Chapter 3**

The sun was finally beginning to set on the harsh Gerudo Desert, much to the relief of Link. Upon learning that the Sages might be able to help him, Link had wasted no time in going to see them.

He hadn't even stopped to pack supplies. It was a decision which he quickly began to regret.

In the past, the many moblin encampments had provided all the food and water Link needed. Now, the moblins and their beasts had either left or died. The only supplies that Link was able to find had long since gone foul.

Yet despite his building thirst, he continued on. Through the evening haze, he could see the massive Arbiter's Grounds growing ever closer.

_It won't be long now, _Link thought to himself. _If it's possible, the Sages will be able to tell me how._

As the sun went down, so did the temperature. The Gerudo Desert was quickly becoming cold. Very cold. Even at night, the desert was cruel and unforgiving.

Link urged his legs to move faster. If he was lucky, he could make the Arbiter's Grounds by midnight.

---

Link walked up the crumbling stone steps leading to the massive Mirror Chamber. Link had never thought about what it would be like to return to there. Despite being the only chance he might have of seeing Midna again, it was not at all a pleasant experience.

Memories of Midna's departure came rushing back to Link once again. With every step, he became less and less certain.

_What if there is no way? _he thought to himself. _What if I've wasted all this time for nothing? What if the mirror really was the only way into her world?_

Finally, Link had reached the top of the stairs. _I'm here now, I might as well try._

The Mirror Chamber was much the same as it had originally been. Perhaps by the work of the Sages, the mirror stand and the obsidian block had vanished, with the tall statue of a woman in their place. The ground was littered with tiny fragments of the Twilight Mirror.

Link had never called the Sages before. During his journey, they had always come to him. That was obviously not going to be the case this time.

At last, he had the answer. Silently cursing himself for missing something quite obvious, he lifted his left arm into the air. The mark of the Triforce of Courage began to glow brightly.

"I see you have returned once more, Hero."

Link looked around the chamber, searching for the source of the voice. To his great surprise, Link found that he was still alone. Eventually, he spotted the Sages slowly coming into existence not far from where he stood. He turned and began to walk towards them.

"I trust Hyrule is in good health?"

It was quite hard, Link realized, to tell which one of them was speaking.

"Yes, Great Sage," he answered.

"Then why is it you have journeyed here, Hero?"

"I have come for a personal request."

This time, it was quite easy to tell easy to tell apart the speaker. The Sage furthest from Link took several steps towards him.

"A personal request, you say? And what might this request be?" said the Sage.

_This is it_, he thought. In just a few moments, he would know whether he could ever see his friend again. Shaking from a combination of nervousness and excitement, Link forced out an answer.

"I wish to find a way to enter the Twilight Realm."

The Sages lowered their heads, and began to quietly mumble amongst themselves. At last, one of the Sages lifted his head to speak.

"What you ask of us will be hard, if it is even possible. There is no guarantee that it will work, or even that you will live through it," he said.

"I don't care."

"It is only because you are the chosen of the goddesses that we tell you this," the Sage continued. "And even then, it is not something we are happy to do."

Link could barely control his excitement. _It was possible! _The Sage took something of a deep breath before continuing.

"In the beginning, the three Goddesses descended from the heavens and gave life to Hyrule. Din, the Goddess of Power, gave shape to the mountains and the valleys. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, brought order to Din's creation. Far ore, the Goddess of Courage, created the life that would inhabit Hyrule. Their work finished, the three Goddesses departed Hyrule. They left behind the Triforce in the Sacred Realm as a symbol of their everlasting power. You know this, correct?"

Link looked down at the back of his left hand to where the Triforce of Courage was still glowing brightly.

"Over the years, countless people have sought out the Triforce. People devoted their lives to the search for it. Why do you think people wished to obtain the Triforce so badly?"

Link tried to think of an answer, but could not. It was something he had thought of once before during his journey. Yet, he could not find an answer that would fit.

"It is because, Link, the Triforce has the ability to grant any of man's desires."

_Any of man's desires. _This was it. This was the answer. If Link could assemble the Triforce, he could use it to enter the Twilight Realm. But…

"I'd be stuck there, wouldn't I? In the Twilight Realm?" Link asked.

The Sage lowered his head once more.

"Yes," he answered. "Do you still wish to continue?"

It was the hardest decision Link would ever have to make in his life. He had friends here still, people he considered as good as family. Yet, every part of him ached to see Midna. She, more than anyone else, would understand him. She alone had been there all the way through.

"I do."

"Then you must turn your attention to our problem."

"What problem?" asked Link.

"The Triforce of Power," said the Sage. "When you defeated Ganondorf, it left him."

"Has it returned to the Sacred Realm?"

"No, for the Sacred Realm is no longer Sacred. It has been twisted and perverted by Ganondorf himself. The Triforce of Power remains in this world."

"Where can I find it?"

Link was closer than ever to the Twilight Realm. If he could find the Triforce of Power, he might be able to enter her world once more.

"Seek out the Light Spirit Ordona. Ordona alone has been trusted by the Goddesses with hiding the Triforce."

"Thank you, Great Sages."

Link turned and walked to leave the Mirror Chamber. Bending down, he picked up a fragment of the Twilight Mirror and placed it in his pocket.

---

Ganondorf was floating through nothingness.

He could remember very little of the final encounter. The Master Sword had ripped him from the world of light, but it had apparently not killed him.

Now, it seemed almost as though he was trapped between the two worlds. He saw glimpses of each, pieces of conversations. He knew the Hyrule had recovered, becoming stronger than ever. He knew that Princess Midna was desperately missing her friend.

Yet, no bit of information rivaled in importance to what he was watching now.

---

"_Seek out the Light Spirit Ordona. Ordona alone has been trusted by the Goddesses with hiding the Triforce."_

"_Thank you, Great Sages."_

---

Ganondorf laughed. It seemed that the great Hero was not above using the Triforce for his own selfish needs.

_This might be my way out of this place, _he thought to himself.

---

**Ending A/N:** Ooh! Ganondorf is still alive! Midna will be making a return next chapter, and you'll be seeing a lot more of her from this point on. Now, there will be a bit of a pause between this and Chapter 4. The reason? I want to re-write my plan. That's going to take a good day or so to do. The good news is that the chapters afterwards will be a bit longer, a bit more detailed, and a bit quicker to come out. It's always easier to write when you don't have to decipher what you meant when you wrote your plan.

That being said, I'll still try and have Chapter 4 out real soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **POWER! Oh glorious electricity, how I missed thee!

In other words, the skies opened up and dropped about 2 feet of snow in 12 hours, along with winds of 60-90km/h. A tree fell on the power lines (not 10 feet from where I was standing…) and I lost power for a little over two days. In that time, I could get zero work done. My computer was out, and my lined paper was at school (which was closed.)

Anyways, I got a couple comments that my chapters are a bit too short, so this one will be a bit longer. It was originally planned as two chapters, but I decided to merge it when I rewrote my plan. This is going to be roughly the length of all the future chapters. Please don't tell me it is not long enough. I really can't make them any longer.

**Towards the Twilight**

**Chapter 4**

Link emerged from the Gerudo Desert just as the sun began to set. The journey back through the desert had been easy. Perhaps by the power of the Sages, or the ancient magics surrounding the area, Link found that several of the barrels within the Arbiter's Grounds still contained fresh water. Without dehydration as a constant threat, the journey was not nearly as exhausting as the first.

As he moved down the mountain side towards Lake Hylia, Link couldn't help but stop to admire the sunset. Something about how the sun shone off the surface of the lake had always fascinated Link. He had spent more than one sunset here with Midna.

_Midna. _The thought of his friend brought the meeting with the Sages back to his attention.

_It was possible. _

Link was still having trouble comprehending that. Hard as it may be, it was still possible to enter her world. As much as he ached to see Midna, Link was beginning to have a few second thoughts. The Triforce would bring him to the Twilight Realm, but once there, he would not be able to use it to get back. He would almost certainly be stuck there forever.

That would mean leaving his many friends. It would mean leaving those who had treated Link as family. It would mean leaving Zelda. In the several weeks before Link had returned to Ordon, he had become quite close to the Princess. ((**See ending A/N to clear up any confusion.**)) While most of Hyrule was throwing themselves at his feet, as they might have done to the King or Queen, Zelda had treated Link as a person.

_Perhaps, _he had once thought to himself, _if the circumstances were different, we might have fallen in love._

It would be so easy to forget about the Twilight Realm. So easy to settle down, perhaps fall in love with Zelda. He would have a normal life. A life filled with people who cared deeply about him. Yet, in his heart Link knew that he would not truly be happy.

Midna had made Link feel different. She had made him feel happy, even when all hell was breaking loose. More than once he had considered the possibility that she was more than just a friend.

Figuring that he had dawdled enough, Link started down the mountainside once more.

---

The walk to Hyrule Castle was long and tiring. It was almost longer than Link could handle. Not wanting to be a public spectacle, he was forced to travel mostly by night. The result being that Link was barely managing a few hours sleep a day.

The many steep hills of the Hyrule Field also presented a problem whilst traveling at night. More than once Link had to fight to catch himself after tripping over some rock hiding in the shadows.

Eventually Link arrived at the gates of Hyrule Castle, terribly exhausted and just a little worse for wear. It was a little after midnight when he arrived, and he wasn't about to wait until morning to see Zelda.

Needless to say, the guards were unhappy with letting Link into the castle so late at night. When he asked that the Princess be woken immediately, he was certain that he would have to run for his life. Yet eventually, the guards resigned and went to wake the Princess.

One of the remaining guards led Link up the stairs towards Zelda's private quarters. An action that Link deemed quite unnecessary, given the amount of times he had been there. At last, after what seemed like a lifetime of walking, Link was standing outside of Zelda's quarters. Knowing that this would likely be the hardest part of his quest, Link pushed open the door and entered her room.

---

"Welcome back, Link."

Zelda was obviously not concerned with the state in which Link saw her. She was still lying in her bed, propped up by her pillows. She had not bothered to get dressed, as one would expect from a princess.

"I am sorry for waking you," said Link.

"Oh, not to worry. I don't mind at all," she said. "I assume your journey was a safe one?"

"For the most part, yes. There were a few close calls in the field."

"And?"

"It's possible," Link answered, sounding somewhat downtrodden.

Zelda was obviously quite confused. She knew Link wanted to see Midna more than anything. She had no idea why Link would be depressed. Seeing her obvious confusion, Link started explaining.

"According to the Sages, the only way into her realm is with the Triforce. I would need all three pieces."

That was why. Zelda knew that Link expected her to be reluctant in giving up the Triforce of Wisdom. In truth, she was. The Triforce of Wisdom was the symbol of the Royal Family; it had been passed down for generations.

"I must think on it," she said, not waiting for Link to even ask the question. "In the meantime, you should seek the remaining piece of the Triforce."

"Actually, Zelda, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay at the castle for a while."

The Princess was completely shocked by this. She had figured that Link would waste no time in seeing Midna. He certainly hadn't wasted time in going to the Sages. Still, she could see the sense in waiting. He was clearly exhausted, and had probably not slept well for many weeks. He looked underfed, malnourished, even.

The more Zelda thought about it, the more she agreed with his idea. Link was among her closest friends. Even when he was in Ordon, she had always maintained some for of contact with him. To see him in this state…

"Yes, of course you may stay," Zelda answered. "The guest rooms are full at the moment, though I am certain someone will give up their room for the 'Hero of Hyrule'. You may stay here with me tonight, if you do not mind."

Link sat down on the edge of Zelda's massive bed. Had he not been so exhausted, he would have likely have turned down her offer.

"I will, thank you."

Zelda moved over, giving him room to lay down. She felt a little guilty; the guest rooms were not close to being full. Still, she did not want to give him the opportunity to leave during the night once more, however unlikely that he would take it.

"You may finish telling me of the Sages in the morning. For now, get some rest. You look exhausted."

_Perhaps, _Link thought as he drifted to sleep. _Perhaps I can be happy in this world._

---

_The sun was beginning to set on Lake Hylia. The waters shined brilliant yellows and oranges. Even in the world of light, the beauty of Twilight existed._

_To Midna, the sunsets in this world were far more beautiful than the never-ending cloud of twilight in hers. Perhaps it was because of whom she spent them with. Sitting on her right was her friend and ally. Or maybe he was more than that. In the past several days, she found that Link was making her feel things that she had never felt before._

"_I checked with Fyer earlier. He says the cannon will be fixed by tomorrow."_

_Link's voice brought Midna back to reality._

"_Good. Once it's done, we'll be able to go to the city of the Oocca. We'll be able to stop Zant."_

_Midna sighed. She already knew what she would have to do when the journey was over. It would hurt Link, she knew, and it would probably hurt her more. Yet, it had to be done. For the sake of both worlds, she had to do it._

---

Midna awoke suddenly and looked around her bedroom, as if she half-expected Link to be there. The room was nothing much. Smaller than Zelda's had been, anyways. Yet, with the public opinion of her still low, she figured that it would be best to stick with simplicity.

She had been dreaming of him again. She had dreamed of him almost every night they parted ways. The council was beginning to notice. Her constant daydreams and seemingly endless depression were seeping into her work as ruler of the Twilight Realm.

Midna knew that she shouldn't forget her duties because of him. She knew that Link wouldn't want her to. Yet, part of her still couldn't let go. Her mind was constantly filled with thoughts of what might have been.

"Your Highness," came a voice from outside the room. "are you awake?"

"Yes, yes, I'm awake. If you would wait a moment, Miramas, I will be out shortly," Midna answered.

Midna already knew why Miramas was waking her so earlier. The council wanted her. Though Midna was the ruler of the Twilight Realm in name, the council was the true governing body. They handled most of the day to day tasks of running a nation. Midna liked the idea of the council. Voted in by the people of the realm, they were fair and just. However, that still didn't stop the meetings from being quite boring.

A few minutes later, Midna emerged from her room fully dressed. Her friend and advisor, Miramas, was waiting to greet her. From the instant she saw him, she knew that he knew something she didn't.

Miramas was always laughing and smiling, as if the world was just one big joke that only he could understand. Yet the smile on his face now was different. It was excited, almost.

"Your Highness, the council wishes to meet with you. It is not a full-fledged session; it should only take a minute," he said.

Putting Miramas' expression out of her mind for now, Midna started down the corridors towards the council chamber. The Palace of Twilight was quite beautiful. It was nothing like the perverted version in which Zant had resided.

_If only Link could have seen it like this, _she thought._ He would have loved it._

Eventually, Midna reached the large oak doors leading to the council chamber. What could they possibly want this early? Still, she had a duty to her people. He pushed open the doors and entered the chamber.

The chamber itself was likely as large as the whole of Hyrule Castle. The walls were covered by many balconies, each of which was filled with many seats for the council representatives. They spiraled up until Midna could barely see them. She had often wondered how they managed to hear each other over such a large distance. Magic, most likely.

Now, the balconies were empty. There were only a few people in the room aside from herself.

"Ah, Princess Midna. Early, for once."

The voice came from the head of the council, Narath. Narath was well liked and respected by both the council and the people of the Twilight Realm. Midna was not of the same mind. He was quite fit to lead the council, but she had always found him a tad rude.

"I am not always late, Narath," she answered.

"You know I wasn't being serious. Anyways, the council just wished to inform you that your official coronation will be in three weeks time."

Though Midna had been acting as ruler after Zant's defeat, she was still a princess. Usually, preparations for a coronation would take a full year. However, the council had rushed things along, hoping to raise her public image.

"Yes, thank you for alerting me. Is there anything else you will wish to tell me?" she asked.

"Not unless you want to hear the details on the reconstruction effort."

"No, thank you. I will pass."

While Midna did keep track of the reconstruction efforts, she could never follow the technical details. Taking this to mean this was the end of the meeting, Midna turned around and headed back to her room.

---

"Alright, Miramas. Are you going to tell me what's up?"

Midna was once again in her room. Miramas still wore that strange smile, and she was determined to find out why.

"Why, whatever do you mean, your Highness?" he answered.

"Oh, don't play dumb. I've known you since I was a child. I believe I can tell when you know something."

Miramas laughed and reached into his bag.

"Observant as always, your Highness," he said.

At last, he found what he was looking for. He pulled an ancient looking book out of his bag and placed it on Midna's desk. His small smile had been replaced by a struggled looking grin, almost as if Miramas was trying to fight back his excitement.

"I believe I may have found what you have been looking for."

---

**Ending A/N: **While I think you all have the mental ability to reason this out, my writing of Chapter 1 might cause a few confusions.

Basically, Midna broke the mirror roughly a week after the defeat of Ganon. Link stayed in Hyrule Castle a further two weeks before returning to Ordon. He had three weeks to get to know the Princess. After returning to Ordon, he did keep in touch with Zelda, mostly through letters. She never sent anyone to him to award the Order of Hyrule. My writing of Chapter 1 implies that he left Hyrule Castle within a day or so and not once spoke/wrote to the Princess afterwards, which is definitely not the case.

Finally, just a note on how big Hyrule is: From Lake Hylia to Arbiter's Grounds takes about two – three days. The same goes for Lake Hylia to Hyrule Castle. Link was able to make it from Lake Hylia to Arbiter's Grounds faster (about a day) as he pretty much sprinted the whole way. The journey back took him the full three days. Ordon – Hyrule did not take nearly as long, as Link was riding Epona the whole way.


End file.
